Racing game



2 she ets-s l GEL'FAND March 195s RACING GAME Filed Jilly 24 1 5 March 25, 1958 N. M. GELFAND RACING GAME Filed July 24. 1956 FIG. 6.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE/VTOQ NATHAN m.- GELPNU) FIG. 4.-

United States Patent RACING GAME Nathan M. Gelfand, North Valley Stream, N. Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 24, 1956, Serial No. 599,881

8 Claims. (Cl. 273-86) described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a plurality of racing elements movable along respective lanes of a racing platform, independent conveyor means for moving each racing element, and manually actuable projecting means for projecting pellets adapted to operate the conveyor means, so that actuation ofthe projecting means serves to move the racing elements. p

It is a general object of thepresent invention to provide a game device of the type described which is highly entertaining and absorbing both for children and adults, and while serving to develop skill and dexterity, is capable of being easily operated by even relatively smallchildren without supervision.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game device having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, which is simple and durable in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, entirely safe in use, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the'scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a game device constructed 'in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sideelevational view of the game device of Figure l, with parts broken away standing; u p

Figure 31is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front end view, somewhat enlarged, taken from the left-hand end of Figure 2, with parts broken away for purposes of illustration;

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along the line 5'5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal, sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figures 1-3 thereof, there is illustrated therein an elongate,' slightly rearwardly inclined racing platform or table, generally designated 10, which is supported adjacent its rear end by a depending strut or leg for clarity of under- 11, and supported at its front end by a depending hjousing structure, generally designated 12.

The platform 10 includes an elongate, generally ovalshapedpan formed with a plurality of longitudinally cured to the housing walls43-and 45; and, a generally extendinglgeuerally parallel spaced. through slots 1'6,

2,828,129 Patented Mar. 25, 1958 two being shown in the illustrated embodiment and each defining a racing lane. The platform 10 also includes an elongate bed member 18 extending longitudinally. along and secured fast to the underside of the pan 15, as by fasteners 19. The bed member 18 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending, upwardly opening channels, troughs or grooves 19 each disposed directly beneath one of the slots 16. The troughs 19 are each formed with a relatively wide upper portion 20 having its lower wall defined by a pair of laterally spaced upwardly facing shoulders 21, and a relatively narrow lower portion 22 opening upward between the shoulders. As best seen in Figures 1 and 2, the grooves or troughs 19 open downward through the bed 18, as at 23, adjacent to their rear ends. Depending from the underside of the bed 18, adjacent to the openings 23, are a pair of laterally spaced lugs 24 to which the strut or stand 11 may be attached.

Mounted for movement longitudinally along each of the slots 16 is a racing element 27, which may assume the configuration of a rearwardly facing wheeled vehicle and driver, as illustrated, or other desired form. Each racing element includes a strut 28 depending from the vehicle through the respective slot 16 and carrying on its lower end a base member 29. Each base member is generally plate-like and rests slidably on the shoulders 21 of the respective trough 19. At the forward end of each base member 29, adjacent to the rear of the platform, may be provided a guide toe30 projecting angularly downward into the lower trough portion 22; and, a pin or lug 31 depends from the rear portion of each base plate 29 into the lower trough portion, for reasons appearing presently. Extending transversely across the lower portion 22 of each trough 19, and fixedly secured therein, adjacent to the opening 23, is a generally horizontal pin 33. A signal piece 35 is located adjacent to the rear end of each slot 16, and includes a flag or dis-' play portion 36 disposed above the bottom wall of the pan 15, and an angularly projecting arm 37 extending generally downward into the adjacent pan slot 16 and pivotally mounted therein by a generally horizontal pin 38 extending laterally across the upper portion of the trough 19 and fixed in the bed 18. As will be noted in Figure 2, the depending arm 37 of each signal piece 35 is formed with an angulate end extension or toe 39 declining forward, to the left in Figure 2, when the fiag portion 36 is in its solid-line, down position. Upon forward movement of the racing element 27, toward the rear of the platform 10, the base piece extension or toe 30 will engage with the angulate signal piece extension 39 to depress the latter and swing the signal piece to its up position shown in dot-and-dash outline.

Fixedly secured to the bed 18, at the forward end of the latter, is the housing 12 which is formed with a plurality of laterally spaced chambers 42, .each depending from the forward end of the bed member 18 in alignment with a respective bed member trough 19. Further, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, each chamber 42 opens rearward adjacent its upper end into the respective bed trough. The chambers 42 each has its forward side closed by a wall 43 which walls are substantially flat and coplanar, being disposed generally upright, but inclined somewhat forward. Further, each wall 43 is formed with a generally vertically disposed through slot 44, which slots are located in adjacent spaced relation with respect to each other.

A bottom wall 45 extends forward and downward from the lower edges of the walls 43, substantially normal to the latter walls, for engagement with a floor or other supporting surface. A rearwardly concave, front shell @6, preferably fabricated of transparent material, is seeach of said paddlewheels having its paddles spaced apart various angular distances so that the amount of angular turning of protruding paddles affected by said pellet will vary as successive paddles protrude.

2. A game device according to claim 1, in combination with a plurality of signal pieces pivotally mounted at the other end of said platform each adjacent to a respective lane and in the path of the associated racing element to be engaged by the latter, each of said signal pieces being shaped to be swung to an elevated position when engaged by its associated racing element.

3. A game device according to claim 1, said conveyor means comprising a plurality of endless flexible conveyor elements each arranged in a continuous path longitudinally of and below a respective lane of said platform and connected at one region to the adjacent racing element, said conveyor elements each extending about the adjacent paddlewheel for movement along its respective path upon rotation of said paddlewheel.

4. A game device comprising an elongate racing platform provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending lanes, a plurality of independent racing elements mounted for sliding movement longitudinally along said platform each in a respective lane, a plurality of paddlewheels disposed at one end of said platform each adjacent to a respective lane and mounted for independent rotation about horizontal axes extending transverse of said platform, each of said paddlewheels having its paddles spaced apart various angular distances so that the amount of angular turning of protruding paddles will vary as successive paddles protrude, a plurality of upstanding guide casings fixed relative to said platform each located adjacent to a respective paddlewheel and formed in one wall with a generally vertical slot receiving successive paddles of the adjacent paddlewheel upon rotation of the latter, conveyor means operatively connected between each of said paddlewheels and its associated racing element to move the latter in response to rotation of the respective paddlewheel, a ball freely movable in each of said guide casings, and independently manually actuable projecting means in each of said casings for projecting the contained ball against the protruding paddle of the associated paddlewheel to turn the latter, whereby said racing elements are moved along said platform by actuation of said projecting means.

5. A game device according to claim 4, said conveyor means comprising a plurality of flexible endless lines each arranged in a continuous path longitudinally of and below a respective lane of said platform and connected at one region to the associated racing element, said conveyor lines each extending about the adjacent paddlewheel for movement along its respective path upon rotation of the said wheel.

6. A game device according to claim 4, said projecting means comprising a resilient strip arranged generally horizontally in the lower region of each casing below said slot for supporting said ball in said casing, each of said strips having one end anchored in its respective casing and having its other end extending loosely through and out of its casing for manual depression by an operator, whereby release of said other strip end serves to project the supported ball in said casing to be guided by the latter.

7. A game device according to claim 4, in combination with a plurality of signal pieces pivotally mounted at the other end of said platform each adjacent to a respective lane and in the path of the respective racing element to be engaged by the latter, said signal pieces being shaped to be swung to an elevated position by engagement with said racing elements to indicate the termination of a race.

8. A game device comprising a racing platform having a plurality of racing elements movable independently along the same, casings on said platform one for each of said elements, a paddlewheel for each of said elements having paddles spaced thereon at unequal angular distances for successive protrusion into the casing of its respective racing element, conveyor means connecting each of said paddle wheels with its respective racing element to move the latter in response to rotation of the former, a pellet movable in each casing, and means independent to each casing for cooperation with the pellet for independent movement of the same in the casing against the protruding paddle of the respective paddlewheel to rotate the same and to move its respective conveyor means and racing element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,699 Cole Dec. 28, 1926 1,958,563 Brooker et a1. May 15, 1934 2,526,215 Florimont Oct. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,811 Great Britain 1903 216,787 Great Britain June 5, 1924 6,529 Australia July 26, 1927 

